I Found You
by LoveForeverxo
Summary: They were two strangers who met before but didn't know it. One is noticed by the other but when tragedy struck, all was forgotten. When they meet again 2 years later, things get complicated. Will the former feelings resurface? Will one fall for the other? Or will they be just friends? Read to find out! Disclaimer: I don't own Hollywood Heights or any of it's characters.
1. Finally

**Okay, so this story starts a couple years before the show was set. It will skip up to when Loren's eighteen and Eddie's twenty-two eventually, I promise! :)**

**There are some parts from the original show that might be similar but maybe not exactly the same.  
And guys... I love Leddie, but they won't be happening for a while, if they even happen at all? Guess you guys will have to keep reading to find out, haha :)  
The first few chapters might just be about Eddie and Loren and then maybe later on I'll add other people's perspectives? I don't really know.. **

**So this is my first fan-fiction so let me know what you think and if I should continue :)  
Jk I'll probably continue it anyways cause I love to write! **

**Please review/ pm me telling me what you think! :) **

Sixteen year old Loren Tate smiled to herself as she replayed the day in her head. As she sat down in her secret spot overlooking L.A, she still couldn't believe it. The Justin Collins had finally, finally asked her out. Her, simple old Loren Tate. After years of dreaming of going out with him. She was so giddy, she couldn't stop the smile that escaped her lips. She couldn't stop replaying that part of her day in her head.

The last bell had just rung and she was at her locker getting her books. Her best friend, Melissa Sanders, was blabbering in her ear about something, as usual. She looked up to roll her eyes at her friend when she saw Justin.

"Ohmigod Mel, he is so cute!" she exclaimed.

"Who? Oh, I know right!" Mel replied as she turned around to look at who had caught her best friends eye, "I just wanna-"

"Mel! Please don't go there. I really don't wanna know whatever dirty thoughts you're having right now," Loren told her as she continued packing her books.

"...fine! But seriously that boy is hot. Like smokin' hot," Mel said, "Oh my god, Lo!"

"What, what is it?" Loren asked.

"He's coming over here! Justin! Justin Collins! He's walking over here, right now! Oh wow, the closer he gets, the finer he looks girl," Mel announced.

"No way! How do I look? What am I gonna say? Mel!"

"Well, looks like you've got five seconds to figure it out because he is right behind you," Mel let out a laugh.

"Hey Loren," she heard Justin say behind her.

Loren slowly turned around to face the guy she'd been fawning over for years now. "Uh hi Justin," she uttered, "How's it going?"_ Oh god, I hope I can get through this conversation without saying something totally stupid, _Loren thought to herself.

"It's good," Justin smiled that brilliant smile she loved so much, "So... Look, there's something I really wanted to ask you..."

"Yeah?"

"I heard you're a really big Eddie Duran fan and he has a new movie coming out next week," he started shyly, "Do you wanna go see it with me?"

Loren froze. Did she hear him right? Did he say what she thought he said? "What?" she blurted before she could stop herself.

"Is that a no?" he asked looking disappointed.

"No, no that's a yes! I'm sure it is, she's just a little shocked," Melissa jumped in.

Justin chuckled, "Loren?"

"Yeah? Oh what, yeah! Sure, I would love to. Wait you're serious... right?" she wondered out loud.

"Yes, I'm serious," Justin answered with a laugh, "How about next Friday? Would that work for you?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," she managed to respond.

"Alright, cool. See you then, Loren," he flashed a smile before walking away.

"Oh my god, Lo! He just asked you out! Justin just asked you to go on a date with him to an Eddie Duran movie!" Mel exclaimed.

"Did that really just happen?" Loren asked, stunned.

"Yes!"

"Oh my god, I'm going on a date with Justin Collins!" she squeaked.

Even now, thinking back to that special moment she still couldn't believe it. She had known Justin for years now and they had spoken before. They were friends, kind of. They talked every once in a while in class when they were partnered up. But that was about it. She always felt flustered around him, that was nothing new.

Loren smiled again. In exactly one week, she was going to see her idol with her long term crush. Things were definitely going well for her. That was a change. She looked out at the view in front of her. The sun was starting to set and L.A really did look beautiful. Suddenly, she got an idea. She pulled out her song book and eagerly started scribbling lyrics onto it.

Little did she know that there was someone watching her from a distance. He didn't mean to be a creeper, he just wanted to go up to his spot to clear his head before his big night. Even from this distance, twenty year old Eddie Duran could tell that this girl was beautiful. It wasn't the exotic kind of beauty, it was an innocent kind. Like she didn't know just how beautiful was. He watched her quietly. Her smile was cute. Adorable, actually. Then he saw her pull out this little book with papers sticking out and start writing in it. He liked the way she stopped every few seconds to examine what she had written so far. He was curious as to what was in the book.

He heard her phone ring, and she picked it up with a smile. When she finished the conversation, she put the book away and started heading back towards the bottom of the hill. Eddie quickly ducked down, careful to avoid being seen. He didn't really know how he would explain why he was hiding in a bush like a stalker. He heard a car engine come to life, and slowly fade away. He waited a couple more seconds.

When he was sure she had left, he walked up to the spot near the tree and noticed a piece of paper at his feet. He bent down to see what was on it. Eddie was astonished. _These lyrics are really good, really really good _he thought to himself. This mystery girl had some talent. He knew that he had to tell his Mom and Dad and he couldn't wait to do just that.

**Alrighty guys, that's my first chapter :) Please review and let me know what you think! :)**


	2. Lyric Girl

**Okay, fine! I'll admit, Leddie will happen! :) Just not right now, but don't abandon the story cause of that :) **

**So I think I'm going to do a little summary of what happened during the previous chapter every time I add a new chapter cause sometimes if you're reading more than one fanfic it can be difficult to remember :) (Trust me, I know)**

**Summary: **So in the last chapter, Loren was at her secret spot thinking about how her long term crush had finally asked her on a date to see an Eddie Duran movie. She had started to write some new lyrics but when she got up to leave, she dropped a sheet of lyrics and left it behind. Eddie had been heading up to his secret spot when he spotted someone there. In order to avoid being spotted, he hid in a bush and when he saw Loren leave he went to pick up the paper she had dropped. He had been amazed at how good the lyrics were, and he was excited to show his parents.

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :) Don't forget to let me know your thoughts!**

* * *

"Mom! Dad! Where are you guys?" Eddie yelled as he walked into his parents apartment.

"Eddie? Honey, what's wrong?" his Mom asked him, walking out of the office.

"Nothing bad, I promise! Actually, this actually really exciting news," he replied with a smile.

"What is it, son?" his dad demanded.

"Sit, sit. I wanna tell you guys something," he smiled. His parents sat. "Okay, so I was up at that place I used to hike up to when I was younger, remember it?" Max and Katy nodded, "So, I saw this girl."

"Ooh, you saw a girl, huh?" his mom winked at him.

"Mom, it wasn't like that! Well, she was beautiful, but that's not the point!" Eddie exclaimed.

His parents started to laugh, "Alright, alright. So what about this beautiful girl?" his dad asked.

Eddie rolled his eyes and gave his parents an agitated look, "Can I tell you? Or am I gonna get interrupted after every sentence?"

"No no, go ahead sweetie. Carry on," Katy told him with an encouraging smile.

"Okay, so as I was saying before I was interrupted," he gave his dad a pointed look, "I was up at that place I used to go to when I noticed someone else was there. I'd never seen anyone up there before, so I hid. That's when I saw that girl, she had these beautiful wide brown eyes and brown hair. She was sitting there with her eyes closed looking at the city. She was smiling about something, and she had the cutest smile! So-"

"Wait wait wait, I thought you said it wasn't like that?" his mom asked him.

"...It's not, Mom, that's not what this is about. Plus, I'm allowed to appreciate a pretty face when I see one."

"Alright, sorry honey keep going."

Eddie continued his story while pacing around the living room, "Okay, so as I was watching her from the bushes, she-"

"Wait, you were watching her from the bushes son? Wouldn't that be considered stalked? I really don't want to have to bail you out of jail because you were 'appreciating a pretty face'," his dad told him, throwing in air quotes with his hands. Then he looked at Katy and they both burst into a series of laughter.

"...Ugh, you guys! I wasn't stalking her! Okay? I didn't want her to see me and recognize me and go crazy," Eddie retorted.

"Right, because you're the oh so famous Eddie Duran," his Mom told him. He look at could tell they were both just having fun at his expense. That's all his parents did, and they loved it. He could tell they were both trying not to laugh.

"Alright, fine. You guys wanna be like that? Go ahead, I'll go tell someone else my amazing story," he began to walk away.

"Aw, baby get here, I promise! No more interruptions until your done," Katy said sympathetically.

"Okay, for the last time! So, where was I?" he paused for a second to think, "Ah, right. So she pulls out this book and starts writing in it, and she seems to be really enjoying herself! It's like a diary or something, I wasn't really sure. When she left, I went to where she had been standing. That's when I found this!" He pulled out the sheet of lyrics and handed it to his Mom.

"What is it?"

"It's lyrics! This girl wrote them! And they are really, really good!"

"Hmm," Max and Katy studied the paper for a second, "Yeah, they're good lyrics."

"Why do I sense a but coming?" Eddie questioned taking the paper back from them.

"But what? What about them? It's not like you can steal this girl's lyrics and expect her to be like yeah, sure take them," his dad said, "Even if you are Eddie Duran the rock star," he and Katy started laughing again.

"You guys are ridiculous, you know that? Whatever, I'll figure this out when we get back! But if you guys don't start getting ready now, you're gonna miss the premiere," Eddie said with a chuckle.

"Ah, right! My son, the infamous rock star was in a movie called Senior Ditch Day! And guess what? The premiere is tonight! And he invited his parents! Aw, isn't my boy a little sweetheart?" Katy told Max, standing up to give Eddie a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, right! My boy. So grown up now. Going to his first movie premiere!" Max told him. Eddie started laughing. He loved it when his parents started to mock him. As weird as that sounded, it actually made him laugh. Even if he was being teased.

"And who is my baby taking with him to this premiere?" his mom asked him as she held his hand in hers.

"Hey, maybe he should take Lyric Girl! Oh wait, he doesn't even know who she is since he was too busy stalking her!" his dad said with a laugh.

"Ha ha, very funny Pops," Eddie retorted, while trying not to smile.

"Well, it clearly is since you're on the verge of bursting into laughter!" his dad pointed out to him.

Eddie couldn't help it, he smiled. "Okay, okay, enough with the Eddie teasing, go get ready! Oh, and I'm not taking anyone."

"And why not?" Katy asked him.

"I don't really know, I guess I forgot? I just didn't feel like it. Will you be my date, Mom?" he asked playfully.

"Of course honey!" she told him, with a sincere smile lighting up her gorgeous features.

"Hey, hey! What's this I hear? You're trying to steal my date young man? I'm sorry, but she's taken!" Max interfered. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Katy's waist, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Nah, no one Pops! She's all yours, maybe next time!"

"Yeah, maybe, now you have to get ready! We'll see you there, okay?" his mom told him.

"Alright bye Mom," he gave his mom a quick kiss, "Bye Pops," he said as he hugged his dad.

"Bye Eddie!" they called out after him as he left the apartment.

He got into his car and started to head home to get ready. This was it. Tonight was his big night! The premiere. He couldn't wait to see all his old cast mates again, they'd had some good times on set. He was excited to see the final product. But no matter what he did, he couldn't shake 'Lyric Girl', as his father had called her, out of his head. There was just something about her. She had this innocence about her that was so intriguing. He cursed himself for not having found out her name. He really wanted to get to know her! Not because he thought she was pretty, but because this girl was skilled. Maybe she could help him write some stuff.

When his car stopped, he looked out the window to see that he had arrived. He went straight up to get ready for the premiere. He took the sheet of lyrics and carefully placed it on the piano. He would figure this out when he got back, he promised himself.

When he was ready, he left the penthouse. He went by Jake's house to pick him and Traci up. _Beeep, beeep,_ he heard the driver honk. He rolled down his window to see what was taking them so long.

"We're coming, we're coming!" Jake yelled to him. _Typical Jake,_ he thought as he let out a little laugh.

"Come on man, as my manager you should be the one yelling at me to hurry it up!"

"I'm here man, sorry Trace was a taking a little longer than expected," Jake said as he ran to the car, Traci close behind.

"Well, it was definitely worth it, you look beautiful Traci," he told her as she got into the car.

"Thanks Eddie, you don't look to bad yourself," she laughed.

"So, Eduardo. You ready for the big night?" Jake asked once he had gotten himself settled in.

"Are you kidding?" Eddie looked at him incredulously, "I've never been more ready for anything!"

"Alright, man! That is what I like to hear," Jake smiled, showing his satisfaction.

**So that's chapter two! :) Let me know what you think :) **


	3. Be Yourself

**Thanks for the reviews guys! They're so sweet :) To the 'Guest' that reviewed saying they should meet at the premiere and become friends, I think that's a GREAT idea! But I have this whole plan already of how they meet and under what circumstances, you know what I mean? Maybe you should join and write your own Fanfic! I think it would be great! :) But I want the story to be as realistic as possible, so how would a normal high school girl get into a premiere? (If you know, please tell me how, I'd love to go! ;P) but yeah :)**

**Summary: **Eddie told his parents about the lyrics he found on the ground. He decided he'd like to meet the girl and work with her on some lyrics. He then goes home to get ready for his premiere. He picks up Jake and Traci and they head there together.

* * *

Loren opened the front door to her house and stepped inside. "Mom," she called out, "Where are you?"

"Loren? Hey honey, glad you finally decided to come home!" Nora answered her, coming out of her bedroom.

"Sorry Mom, I just had some stuff I wanted to think about."

"Oh, yeah. Like maybe the fact that... Justin Collins asked you out! How could you not call me and tell me right away!" her mom exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement, "I'm starting to wonder if Mel hadn't told me if you ever would have!"

Loren sat down on the couch and looked at her mom. She looked so childish jumping up and down like that. It was as if her mother was the one who had been asked out on a date, not her. She loved her mother's enthusiasm. "I'm sorry Mom, I promise I was coming home to tell you!"

"Yeah, you better!" her mom told her, sitting down beside her, "I want all the gory details!"

"Oh god Mom, you're starting to sound like Mel!" Loren laughed.

"Yeah well, tell me!"

"Okay, okay," Loren said. She began to recount what had happened earlier that day. She couldn't get Justin's big luminous green eyes out of her head. The same green eyes that had stared at her as he asked her to see a movie. He was so perfect to her.

"Aw, sweetie that sounds so perfect!"

"Mom, it was! I just hope I don't mess it up! I really like him," Loren couldn't fight the smile that spread across her mouth.

"Don't worry, you won't! If this guy has any sense at all, and is as amazing as you make him out to be, then he will realize what a catch he's got," her mom winked at her.

"Okay Mom, I think you're more excited for this date than I am!"

"Well sweetie, it's not every day you get asked out by the cutest guy at school! And I can't wait to catch you making out with cute boys so I can chase them out of the house!" her mom told her eagerly.

"You know, most moms would not be looking forward to seeing that, but of course you're excited about that," Loren rolled her eyes with a smile, "But anyways. I need to get started on homework, so I better get on that," she stood up, gave her mom a quick kiss, and went to her room.

The first thing Loren saw when she walked in was that Eddie Duran poster she had up on her wall. She loved it. It was the picture from his first album. He was leaning against the wall and giving that classic Eddie Duran smile that made millions of girls swoon over him. And those beautiful, beautiful brown eyes. It was like they were staring into your soul. She loved it. She loved him. _Who doesn't? He is Eddie Duran, after all,_ she thought.

Loren sat down for a second to check her Twitter, Facebook, Email, the usual. When she saw nothing new, she decided to get started on her homework. About an hour or so into homework, she heard a little _Ping_ from her laptop. Loren went to check it out and saw that it was a Skype call from Melissa. She smiled, and accepted it.

"Hey, hey, hey! How's my girl doing after having such an amazing day?" Mel asked enthusiastically.

"Hey Mel, I'm so excited!"

"Yeah, I bet! So have you decided what you're gonna wear yet?" Mel asked.

"What? Mel, are you serious! Of course not, I still have another week... Okay, yeah I totally have!" Loren was a little embarrassed to admit.

"Oooh, let me see! I wanna see what you decide on. And Lo, I swear if you decide to wear all black or something like that, I am gonna have no choice but to go over there and kill you," said Melissa.

"Nah, don't worry," Loren laughed, "I don't know, I think it'll look pretty good. You'll approve, I promise."

Loren stood up and walked to her closet. She grabbed black skinny jeans, a turquoise twisted neck cami and a faux leather jacket and held them up against her body. "So, what do you think?"

"I think that the second that boy sees you in that outfit, he is going to fall head over heels for you! Ah, I've taught you so well, I'm so proud," Melissa said as she pretended to wipe tears away.

"Ha ha, okay Mel! For all we know, I'm gonna ruin the perfect night with my stupid comments!" Loren said with a giggle. She went returned the clothes to her closet and reached down and to grab her black high heeled ankle boots. "With these, what do you think?"

"I think they're perfect!" Mel exclaimed, "And nah, just be your amazing, witty old self and he will love you!"

"Thanks," Loren told her best friend with a sincere smile on her face, "Oh, and thanks for telling my mom!"

"No problem Lo, that's what friends are for, right?" Mel answered slyly.

"Yeah, right! That's what they're for," Loren rolled her eyes. She checked her Facebook to see she had a new message. It was from Justin. "Mel, Justin inboxed me!"

"Ooh, what did lover boy say! Read it!"

Loren opened the message to see he had written;_ Hey, so I was thinking dinner before the movie? :) Whatdya say?_ Loren's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it! She quickly typed back; _Are you sure? Movie only sounds fine. _The response was quick.

_Justin: Yes! I would love it if you would say yes :) Plus, dinner means I get to spend more time with you which I'm looking forward to:$_

_Loren: Ha ha, alright then. What time? _

_Justin: How about 7? :)_

_Loren: Sounds good. See you then! :) _

_Justin: Yeah... Hey, what's your number? _

Justin Collins wanted her number? Whoa. They quickly exchanged phone numbers and said their goodbyes. He promised he would text her later, but he had to go to practice now. Loren smiled to herself. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening to her. It was like a dream come true.

"Loren!" Mel shouted, "What happened? Why are you smiling like that? Jeez, you look like a kid on Christmas morning!"

"Oh, what?" Loren was startled by her friend's voice. She had totally forgotten about her. "Oh, he asked me to dinner before the movie and then he asked for my number."

"Oh my god Lo! This is a sign! He is totally gonna fall for you," her friend teased, "and how can you say that so casually? Look at you, oh yeah, btw Mel? The super hot Justin Collins asked me for my number and we're going on a date next week, but you know, it's no big deal!"

"Okay Mel, relax!" Loren replied through a laugh. Then she shyly added, "He said he would text me later."

"See? This is what I'm talking about! My girl is getting some action!"

"Oh my god, no!" Loren shrieked, "I hate when you start talking liked that!"

"Oh please, you love it! But anyways, I have to go. Lisa has been calling me for hours, and I have to go see what she wants before she thinks I'm growing marijuana under my bed."

"Alright, talk to you later, love you!" Loren told her friend.

"Love you too, bye! And don't forget to keep me updated on you and that sexy boy," Mel winked before closing the call.

Loren chuckled to herself. _Typical Mel, she was crazy,_ she thought. She couldn't believe this was actually happening to her. It felt like she was in a dream, and she was dreading the moment when reality would come back to hit her hard in the face. But for now, she would enjoy it. She was liking this dream, even if it was too good to be true. Loren smiled again as she thought about Justin. She couldn't wait 'till Friday.

**So, please review! :) **

**Oh, and for those of you who didn't notice, the chapters are going to be going back and forth. Like Loren, then Eddie, then Loren, then Eddie and so on. Make sense? Mostly up until they meet. OR if something really crazy is happening. Haha, yeah :) **

**I promise my little notes will become less and less, it's just first few, I have lots to say? lol sorry :$**

**Review please :) **

**BTW, I need some feedback. Do you guys think the characters sound a little like themselves? please let me know! **


	4. Denial

**Thank you for the reviews everybody, they are so lovely :) **

**But if you guys can do me favour, let me know if the characters seem like themselves please? Either PM me or through a review! I'm trying my hardest but this stuff didn't happen in the show... So yeah, just let me know :)**

**Oh, and should I make Tyler & Eddie friends or no? **

**Summary:**In the last chapter, Loren went home to talk to her mom and do her homework. Halfway through, Melissa calls her on Skype and they start talking about Loren's upcoming date. They discuss what she's going to wear when Loren gets a message from Justin about going to dinner before the date. Loren agrees and they exchange numbers. Her and Melissa end the call, and Loren is excited for Friday.

* * *

Eddie was on his way back from a successful evening. The night had been flawless, and he was proud of the final product. He had a blast at the premiere, but now he was exhausted. He closed his eyes and put his head back against the seat. He let out a weary sigh. It had been a very long day. He couldn't wait to get to the comfort of his own bed and bury himself in the pile of sheets.

"Man, tonight was crazy!" Jake said excitedly, "You were great! That movie was off the chains! This is gonna be great publicity!"

Eddie smiled. Typical, typical Jake. "Yeah man, it was great! But now it's time to relax," he said, stretching out the word relax, "Give it a rest, we can talk business tomorrow!"

"Alright, alright. Come by my office tomorrow afternoon and we'll talk," he told him as they arrived at Jake and Traci's house.

"Yeah, yeah, bye Jake!" Eddie called out after them as they get out of the car.

"Where to, sir?" The driver questioned.

"Home, go straight home."

The driver headed in the direction of Eddie's penthouse. Just as he got to the door, he heard his phone ringing. He picked it up, and answered with a very exhausted hello. Eddie listened for a second. Then his face scrunched up in confusion. Then anger. He couldn't understand.

"What do you mean!" He yelled angrily into the phone, "You know what, forget it. Where are you? I'm coming!"

Eddie couldn't believe it. Was this some sort of sick joke? It had to be, right? This couldn't be happening, not now. Without even stopping to think, Eddie got in his car and drove to the hospital. He was driving at an accelerating speed. Everything became a blur, and the only thing he could think was that he had to get to the hospital. He pressed on the gas even harder, willing his car to go faster. How could his friend call him with such news and make it seem like no big deal? This was earth shattering news.

When Eddie finally reached the hospital, he stopped the car and yanked out the keys. He ran to the front desk and said "Duran, Max and Katy Duran, where are they?"

The receptionist stared at him for a moment, a sad look in her eyes. "Your dad is in room 227, Mr. Duran."  
"Thank you!" He barely managed to say before running off to see his dad.

Eddie pressed the elevator button and waited. When he realized it was taking too long, he decided to take the stairs. Eddie ran up to the 5th floor and frantically looked around for room 227. When he finally located it, he ran inside. The sight in front of him caused him to stop for a second. Lying in the middle of the room was his dad. His dad was on the bed, with all these machines hooked to him. But the thing that shocked him most was all the big cut across his father's forehead. Eddie slowly walked up beside him and took his hand. His dad slowly stirred, and opened his eyes.

"Eddie?" he whispered meekly.

"Hey pops, I'm here," he responded gently, "What happened?"

"I don't know, we were on our way back home from the premiere when a car veered out of its lane... I tried to avert it but in doing so ended up driving into a tree and...," Max's confusion was clear. He couldn't continue.

"But what?"

"But..." Max couldn't stop the single tear the trickled down his cheek.

"Well it doesn't matter, as long as you and mom are okay, Dad," Eddie assured him.

"Well that's the thing, Eddie," his father started slowly, "Your mom..."

"What about Mom?"

"Eddie your mom, she didn't-"

"Dad, where is she? Where's Mom?" Eddie questioned. He creased his eyebrows, bewildered. He didn't understand. What was his father trying to tell him?

His father's tears started flowing freely now. He couldn't take it anymore, Eddie demanded more loudly this time, "Dad where's Mom?"

"Eddie I'm so sorry, your mom... S-s-he she didn't make it," his father stuttered.

"What do you mean she didn't make it? Where is she? I wanna see her, I wanna see Mom!" Eddie whimpered skeptically.

"Eddie. Your Mom, she's gone."

Eddie froze. His mom was gone? She couldn't be. He had just talked to her, told her goodnight before leaving. He was paralyzed. He couldn't see anything anymore, everything was blurry. The words "She's gone" echoed in his head. How did this happen? How had it happened?

"Eddie?" his father's voice pierced his train of thoughts. Eddie backed up into the wall and sank to the floor. He looked up at Max.

"Dad, she can't be. She can't be gone," he whispered to him. He was desperate to hear anything but that.

"Eddie, it's true."

**I know that many of you might have seen this coming, but I thought I'd write out the actual seen, so yeah :P**

**Please don't forget to let me know what you think! :)  
Btw is anyone else who lives in Canada hating this winter as much as I do? I've been sick ever since the first snowfall and it sucks -_- **


	5. Perfect Date

**Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, they are so sweet :) Those of you who gave me feedback, thank you! It was really helpful :)**

**BTW guys I just wanted to point out I will not always update as frequently as I have been lately, especially in the upcoming few weeks. Exams and summatives are right around the corner, and those (sadly) are a priority! They are such a pain in the... behind! But I will write as often as I can :) **

**Summary:** Eddie had just gotten home from the premiere when he got a call from his friend. After this phone call, he rushed to the hospital to find his parents. He saw his dad in pretty bad shape and learned they had been in a car accident. When he asked where his mom was, he was told she had been killed in the accident.

**This chapter is not depressing like the last one, so I hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

"So, what do you think Mel?" Loren asked her friend as she stood in front of the computer screen. She was getting ready for her date, and Mel had called her on Skype to see her prepare for it. Tonight was her big date, and Justin was going to come pick her up in less than half an hour. She had curled her hair, put on a light touch of makeup and she was wearing the outfit she planned a week ago. She looked at her friend's face who looked mesmerized. "Mel? Earth to Mel? What, does it look awful?"

"Lo, you are beautiful! Justin will be the one fawning over you when he sees you!"

"Ha ha, thanks Mel! I thought I lost you for a second there," she teased her.

"Very funny," Mel retorted, "So, are you excited? Justin should be over any minute!"

"So excited," she exclaimed, "I can't believe this is happening!"

_Ding-Dong. _Loren looked up nervously, "That was the bell, he's here! Bye Mel!" she squeaked. Loren then shut her laptop and walked over to the mirror to look at herself one last time. She liked what she saw. Simple, but she looked good. She could hear her mom and Justin talking at the door, so Loren made her way to them. The look on Justin's face was pure admiration when he saw her. He smiled shyly at her and said, "Hey." She looked at him and smiled.

"Honey, you look beautiful!" her mom exclaimed, running over to her to give her a hug.

"I agree, you look beautiful Loren," Justin smiled sincerely.

Loren couldn't help the blush that crept up onto her cheeks. "Thank you," she told them.

"So, ready to go?" Justin asked.

"Yup, good to go," she answered with a smile. She went to give her mom another quick hug. "Bye, see you later, Mom."

"Bye honey!" Nora called out as Loren walked out, closing the door behind her.

Loren walked to the car with Justin in a comfortable silence. He opened the door for her like a perfect gentlemen. He waited until she was seated before he went around and got in.

"I'm really happy to see you," Justin stated, flashing that gorgeous smile of his at her.

"Me too," Loren was honest.

"Can I tell you something?" Justin asked her as he started driving.

"Sure, anything," she looked at him and smiled.

"I was honestly so excited for tonight," Justin confessed timidly, "I couldn't wait to see you again, and you really do look beautiful Loren."

Loren turned to look at him. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. She studied Justin from the side. She loved his big green eyes sparkled when he was happy. She loved how his short light brown hair always appeared perfectly mussed. It was the same colour as her own, but she thought it suited him much better. She liked the way his faint tan left from this summer made his eyes appear more lustrous. She loved how he was much taller than her. She had to look up at him when they were talking. And that smile. God, she loved that smile. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

When Loren finally snapped out of her trance and realized she was staring at him, she replied in a soft voice, "Thank you. And I was really anxious for tonight too."

Justin looked over at her and smiled. He didn't even attempt to hide the childish grin that spread across his face. Loren couldn't help herself, she started laughing.

"What, what is it?"

"Nothing, that was just really cute," Loren admitted sheepishly. Justin looked away, suddenly shy.

She felt the car come to a halt and she looked out to see where they were. They were outside of Hollywood's hottest restaurant; Rumor. Loren was astonished that he had brought her here. Not only was it the most sought after place in town, but it was also quite expensive.

He must have sensed her hesitation because he looked at her and asked, "Is this okay?"

"Yeah, this... is great. I'm just really surprised you brought me here that's all," she responded, "Plus, now I feel a little under dressed!"

"None sense, you look gorgeous."

The butterflies in her stomach started dancing around cheerfully. She smiled again. _What is it about this guy that just makes me so nervous?_ she wondered. Loren saw Justin get out of car and again, open the door for her. He was such a sweetheart. They walked into the restaurant and Loren took a moment to take everything in. She could see why people loved coming here, this place was stunning. It looked so rich and classy, she had never been anywhere like this before. She saw Justin talking to the hostess and she led them to their table.

"Wow, this place is so nice!" she whispered to him excitedly.

"I know right? It's my first time here too, I thought we could try it out," he beamed.

As they settled into their seats, a waitress came by to take their order. Loren continued to search the place with her eyes. It was really busy here, and she could tell Justin had gone out of his way to get into a place as nice as this. She looked over at him and placed her hand over his and said, "Thank you."

He smiled that smile of his and replied, "Hey, it's not just for you, you know. I get to spend time with you."

Loren found herself blushing again, she couldn't help it. Twenty minutes later, their waitress arrived with the food. When she took the first bite, she understood why this place was so popular. The food really was phenomenal, and the staff was so kind. As the night progressed, Loren found that she really was enjoying herself. Justin was so sweet and considerate, he was so caring and he just made her so happy. They spent most of their evening laughing, and she just felt so comfortable around him. When they had finished eating, they got up to leave. Justin helped Loren into her jacket, and he held her hand as they walked out.

"So, ready for the movie?" he asked her as they got into his car.

"Yeah, what movie?" she replied.

"Umm, I actually don't know," he admitted, "I thought you might want to choose the movie."

"What?" Loren asked, laughing. She hit him playfully on the arm, "You don't even know what we're gonna watch? Did you at least check movie times?"

"Nope! Let's just go and choose randomly, make it spontaneous," he winked at her, as he pretended to rub his arm in pain.

"Spontaneous, huh? What if... we ditched the movie?" Loren suggested, a big smile plastered across her face.

Justin looked disappointed and asked, "You want to go home?"

"Oh, no! But what if we did something else?"

Justin's gorgeous features lit up once again, "Okay, like what?"

"Hmm, I don't really know! But some where we can talk some more?" she commended.

"I know where to go!" he exclaimed as he started the car, "Close your eyes, I want it to be a surprise."

Loren couldn't help but laugh at him as she covered her eyes. He was so cute when he got excited. Twenty minutes later, Loren felt the car stop.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yup!" was the excited response.

Loren opened her eyes and looked to see where he had decided to take her. They were parked in the Venice Beach parking space. She had been there before during the day but at night, it was a totally different experience. It was so quiet, so peaceful. She could hear the waves crashing against the shore. The moon was the only thing lighting it, and it was such a beautiful sight.

"Wow," she whispered.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Justin said softly.

"Yeah, it really is."

"Come on, let's go for a walk," he smiled encouragingly.

As they headed down towards the beach, she felt his hand brush hers and he took a hold of it, their fingers intertwining. He looked at her for a second, as if to see ask if that was okay and she smiled in response. They walked silently for a minute along the beach, just enjoying each other's company.

"So, what is your all time favourite thing to do?" he asked, breaking the silence.

She thought about it for a second before truthfully replying, "I love to write songs. Or poetry."

"Really? I didn't know that," he answered lightly, "Do you sing?"

"Sometimes. But I'm not that great."

"I don't believe that! It's hard to believe that someone like you is not good at something," he said seriously.

"Hmm, well I suck basketball... And football," she joked, knowing those were the sports he played.

"Well, I think I could help you with that, considering I'm captain of those teams and all," he gave her mischievous smile and before she could ask what he was up to, he was tickling her.

Loren couldn't help the girlish giggles that escaped her lips. Without even realizing it, she suddenly found herself in the circle of his strong arms. His hands rested on the small of her back. She stopped laughing and looked up at him silently. Time seemed to come to a complete stop as he slowly, slowly leaned his head towards hers. She saw his eyes flicker down to her lips, and back up to meet her eyes. Was she imagining this? _I must be, why would he want to kiss me?_ she thought. She felt herself leaning forward as well. Their noses touched. Loren closed her eyes, and then slowly, as if in slow motion, their lips met. It was a sweet and simple kiss, one she knew she wouldn't forget. They reluctantly broke apart and looked into each other's eyes, their foreheads still very close together. She looked to see if there was any regret in his eyes, but they seemed to be shining more brightly, if that was even possible.

"I've been wanting to do that all night," he whispered softly, with the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

Loren felt her breath catch in her throat. There was suddenly a cold breeze, and Loren shivered unintentionally.

"Are you cold? Come on, let's get you home," he suggested, breaking apart. He took her hand and they walked back to the car.

Once they were on the road again, Loren looked at him and said, "Justin?"

"Yes?"

"I had been wanting you to do that all night," she confessed, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. He glanced at her and smiled.

Loren looked outside and saw that they were on her street. She didn't want this night to end, it had gone so perfectly. He stopped the car in her drive way, and got out of the car to walk her to the house. They stopped in front of her front door and stood there quietly for a second.

"I hope this wasn't a onetime thing," he confessed, looking at her so that their eyes met, "I would love to do this again."

Loren couldn't believe the day she was having. She looked at him and said, "I would like that too."

Justin smiled at her again, and he wrapped his arms around her engulfing her in a warm hug. He pulled away slightly, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked her. Loren nodded shyly, just as he let go of her. "Good night, Loren."

"Good night, Justin," she smiled at him as he walked back to his car, and waved goodbye. She stayed there for a second, watching him drive away. As she stood there, she was still a little shocked by everything that had happened in the past few hours. _That was the perfect date_, she thought to herself with a smile before she turned around and walked into the house.

**Please review! (:**


	6. Grief

**I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated! School and life and stuff got in the way and I haven't had any time! **

**OKAY, so I know a lot of you don't like Justin, but I promise they will eventually break up and Leddie WILL get together! So just hold on for a few more chapters, okay? :) & I know many of you didn't like the last chapter and you probably won't like this one either because it's really... blegh maybe... but it'll get better soon!**

**Btw is anyone else as excited as I am for the winter break to FINALLY come?! 1 more week left!**

**Summary: **The day of Loren and Justin's long awaited date finally came. When Justin came to pick Loren up, he admitted to how beautiful he thought she looked. They went to a nice restaurant and when they couldn't decide on a movie, they changed their plans. They ended up going for a walk at Venice Beach where Justin kissed Loren. He then drove her home and walked her to the door telling her he hoped they could do it again.

* * *

Eddies whole world came crashing down around him. That ray of light that was his mother, gone. His happiness, snatched from him. Life was a thief. He still couldn't apprehend it. It just wasn't fair. Where was this so-called justice everyone always talked about? Clearly not on his side. Life was cruel. It was punishing him for something, but he didn't understand what. This all felt like a terrifying nightmare. A nightmare he couldn't wait to wake up from. It was just too painful. He couldn't bear it. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of grief, and he just couldn't save himself from it.

He shut himself out from the rest of the world. His career? Forgotten. Friends? Abandoned. Even his father. He loathed the way he was acting, but the thought of being around other people, was just so agonizing. He stayed holed up in that apartment of his. Everything to him was still unclear, his whole life was a blur. Every now and then, he would find himself picking up the closest thing next to him and chucking it against a wall. It happened every time the thoughts of him being orphaned came seeping into his mind. He'd smashed a lot of glass. Broken valuables. Gotten rid of anything that reminded him of her. It was just so surreal. How could someone so amazing be gone, in the blink of an eye?

Eddie lost track of time. Hours became days. Days folded into weeks. Weeks transformed to months. Nothing mattered. No one mattered. His mother was gone. She promised she would never leave, and she had. Eddie knew he couldn't blame her. He knew she would never willingly abandon him. He just missed her so, so much. Missed hearing her laugh. Seeing her smiling. Hugging her. Telling her he loved her. How does one deal with the loss of a mother? Eddies solution was simple; drink the pain away. He couldn't think of anything else. Any time he was sober, he remembered her. She found her way back into his head, and he couldn't bear it. It was too much for him. He didn't even care that he woke up with hangovers every day. Focusing on the pain of that was so much less antagonizing than thinking of his mother.

Oh god. How had it happened? If he ever found the person who did it, he would murder them with his bare hands. They hadn't even stopped to help. The coward had run away. Anyone who could live with themselves after having committed such a horrendous crime just didn't deserve to live. In his mind anyway.

He knew that he ought to go check on his father. It must have been more difficult for him. He lost his soulmate, his lover, his everything. He knew that he was being dragged through hell and back. But he couldn't get himself to do it. He couldn't find the strength to go see him. He couldn't handle it. He knew his father would be heartbroken. The thought of seeing his father going through so much pain? He didn't think he could bear it. It would kill him. They didn't deserve this. They weren't perfect, but they were good people.

He took another swig from the bottle. _Screw it_, he thought as he began the daily routine of erasing the pain from his mind. He stood up and started pacing around the room. He went over to the piano bench and sat down. He folded his arms and buried his face in the crook of his elbows. He felt a single tear escape his watering eyes and trickle down his red cheeks. He was so angry, so bitter. He lifted his head and glanced around the room. He saw the smashed glass that was littering around the room. The walls caved in where he had punched it out of rage. Wrappers and empty paper cups scattered all over the ground. The place looked like a dump, but he couldn't care less. He looked back at his piano and right on top he saw a picture of him and his mother sitting in a frame. The picture triggered the painful memories he worked so hard to forget, and without even thinking he pushed everything off forcefully. Papers filled with lyrics flew around the room, picture frames shattered as they hit the floor. He attempted to stand up, but in doing so ended up collapsing to the ground. He looked at the papers that had fallen around him and slowly started picking them up. He didn't know why, but he just did.

As he was doing so, he came across a small paper that looked like they had been torn from a notebook. He held it for a second as his eyes scanned it, searching for an indication of what it was. He knew it wasn't his because his notebook had larger paper. As he read it, realization hit. It was the paper he had found when he had gone up to his spot to think before the premier. Then, he remembered the girl. The beautiful girl with the beautiful eyes. The one who had written these amazing lyrics. But then he remembered how excited he had been to tell his parents. As far as he was concerned this girl reminded him if his mom. He took the paper and ripped it up into little shreds. He didn't even hesitate to do so. He didn't want anything that reminded him of his mother. That just meant more pain. As he was doing so, he heard a knock on the door. He thought it was probably just his doorman checking up on him after hearing all those crashing sounds. He decided to ignore it and go lie down. But the aggravating knocking just wouldn't stop.

"Whoever you are, go away!" he yelled at the intruder angrily from his position on the couch.

"Eddie man, open up!" yelled his friend Tyler Rorke.

"Come on, mate. It's been months since you've spoken to anyone, open up!" added Ian.

Eddie sat up and clenched his fists. He stomped over to the door and opened the door furiously. He faced his friends, the irritation and anger clear on his face. He stared at them coldly before saying, "I said go. Leave me alone. I don't want anyone checking up on me."

"We're not here to check up on you. Now go get cleaned up. We're going out to see your Dad," replied Ian. At the mention of his dad, Eddie felt his heart drop to his stomach. He looked desperately from Tyler to Ian, pleading with his eyes for them to leave him alone. Thinking of his dad broke his heart, and brought back the painful thoughts of how he was neglecting him. Ian and Tyler knew they were getting through to him. They stepped around him and walked into the penthouse. He turned around to face them, closing the door. He saw them looking around to examine the place and cringe in disgust.

"Um ... Uh, why don't you shower and get changed while we call a cleaning lady to come clean this place?" offered Tyler. Eddie looked at him and smirked before making his way up to the bathroom.

Forty five minutes later he was all cleaned up and showered. He walked downstairs and went to the kitchen to get some Advil. As he walked through to get to the kitchen, he realized that his place actually looked like a home again_. That was pretty fast_, he thought.

"Oh, good! You're ready. Let's go," Ian told him as he came back into the living room.

"Do we really have to do this?" Eddie asked.

"Yes. You have to go see Max. I can't believe you haven't seen him since the night you left the hospital," Tyler told him. "He's not in a really good place right now, and your shutting him out hasn't exactly helped you know."

Eddie sighed and held his head between his hands. He took a deep breath before replying, "I know. I regret it, but I just couldn't bear it. Let's go."

"He will be happy to see you, you know," Ian told him, giving him a half smile before they left the apartment.

* * *

Eddie walked out of his dad's apartment, feeling atrocious. His father really wasn't coping well with all of this, and it was partly his fault. He had abandoned his father instead of being there for him. He sat down on the stairs, waiting for Ian and Tyler to come back out. The look his father gave him when he walked into the apartment was so devastating. He hated himself for neglecting him for such a long time. He knew it was time he pulled it together. He had to be strong. For his dad. He propped his elbows up on his knees and buried his head in his hands.

"Ready to go, Ed?" Ian asked him as he came out of the apartment, Tyler trailing close behind.

"Yeah, I need a drink," Eddie stated.

"Alright, Rumor?" Tyler asked him.

"Yeah, sure whatever man. Let's just get out of here."

The three of the left Max's apartment building and headed to what was once their favourite restaurant. The second Eddie got out of the car, he was bombarded with paparazzi. He should have known that this would happen. After all, he had been hidden from the public eye for four months now. He covered his face and hurried inside. He plopped down on the bar stool and ordered a drink, while shielding his face from everyone else. Tyler and Ian went to find them a table to eat. The bartender handed him and Eddie grabbed it and took a big sip. Just as he was finishing his drink he heard a soft female voice say: "Hey Eddie." Eddie turned his head to see a blonde with piercing blue eyes staring at him expectantly.

"Who the hell are you?" Eddie asked roughly.

"You don't remember me?" she asked, confusion clear in her face.

Eddie stared at her for a second and shook his head before replying curtly, "No. Should I?"

"We were in a movie together, so I would say so." she responded as she sat down on the stool next to him.

"Okay. Well I don't. I'd like to be alone please," he told her.

She was clearly taken aback by his vulgar behaviour because she stopped answering for a second. Then, she took a deep breath before telling him, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Sure you are," he scoffed. "Isn't everyone?"

"I know what you're going through, you know," she told him sympathetically.

"Oh, I'm sure. Is that the new line to get me to spill out my guts to you?" he scorned.

"Why would I want you to spill your guts to me? I'm not a paparazzi," Eddie looked doubtful. "Wow, you really have no memory of who I am. My name is Chloe Carter, we were in Senior Ditch Day together."

"Huh, you must not have been important enough for me to remember you. Still doesn't ring a bell," he told her bluntly.

"Ouch," she told him. "I'm serious though, I went through the same thing a couple of years ago."

"Oh yeah?" countered Eddie, looking up at her so their eyes met. "You lost your mother to a horrible car accident? And even four months later you still had a hard time believing she would leave you like that?"

"No, I lost both my parents. And even now, three years later I can't believe they're gone. So yes, I do know exactly what you're going through." she told him, averting his gaze.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Chloe. I didn't mean to be so rude. But it's just, it s-s-still hurts so much," Eddie whimpered.

Chloe put her hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. "I know, I understand," she told him.

Eddie looked back at her, trying to search her face for any sign of deceit, but found none. _Maybe she really is trying to help_ he thought to himself. He finished his drink and ordered another for each of them. He decided he would hear her out. Maybe she really could help him through this.

**I'm sorry this wasn't the happiest of chapters. They will get better soon, and Loren and Eddie will meet soon :) **

**Review Please :) **


	7. Best Birthday

**A/N: I know this chapter is WAY overdue but I started it during the Christmas break and then got distracted with school came along and it's been a stressful couple of months, with a lot of things but FINALLY it's here.**

**I know many of you don't like where the story is going and you don't like Chloe and neither do I, but I have a plan for where this story is going. I also came up with some new ideas which might make you somewhat happy but maybe not so much. And, as promised, Eddie & Loren will meet and they'll get together but maybe not for a while.**

**I just wanted to say a special thank you to Marirosa1979 and to everyone else who had such positive reviews! They were really sweet and uplifting, so thank you :)**

**Okay now, FINALLY back to my story, here is Chapter Seven :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Summary: Eddie stayed holed up in the apartment for months, grieving his mother. He often took his anger out on objects that reminded him of her. When he saw her picture sitting on his piano, he threw everything to the ground. When he started cleaning up the mess, he came across Loren's lyric sheet and he ripped it to shreds. To him it was just a reminder of his last day with his mother. Then his friends, Tyler and Ian, showed up at his door and they forced him to go check on his dad. After the visit, they went out for dinner and drinks and that's when he met Chloe, a girl who had been through the same thing he had.

_When you feel, like you've lost_

_Something good, something real_

_Kick it up, just a notch_

_Watch your world reappear_

_If we share our hearts, we can love as one_

_Make the darkest day bright_

_Make it loud, don't stop_

_Let's turn the music up_

_Hit like a lightning bolt_

_Let's go, kick it up_

_Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh, whoa, kick it up (x2)_

Loren groaned as she reached out to shut the alarm she had set on her phone. As much as she loved Eddie Duran, even the sound of his voice would not cheer her up this morning. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before due to the fact that she had been working on her biology project. She had gone to sleep at 4 a.m. and her alarm had gone off just two hours later. To make matters worse, today was her eighteenth birthday. She couldn't believe her eighteenth birthday was on a Monday. Not to mention the fact that she would walk around looking like a zombie on her birthday. Wonderful. She closed her eyes for another minute before forcing them open one last time. She ripped her covers off and sat up. She sat on her bed for a second before dragging herself off and into shower. Twenty minutes later, she came out with her hair wrapped in a towel and wearing grey sweatpants and a light green tank top to go with it.

_Ping._

Loren looked at her phone knowing she had just received a text. Her guess was that it was from Justin. Ever since they had started dating, he never let a day go by without sending her a good morning and good night text. No matter what they were doing, whether they were just together or they hadn't talked all they, he always texted her. She thought it was extremely sweet and thoughtful of him. She reached over to check her phone and sure enough, it was a text from her loving boyfriend.

Justin: _Good morning beautiful :) Happy eighteenth birthday to the most amazing and gorgeous girl in the entire world. Hope you get everything you asked for, and more :) I love you, baby. I hope you have an amazing day, and I'll see you when I come by to pick you up._

Loren smiled to herself as she read the text before typing a quick reply. This is why she loved Justin; he was so perfect, such a gentleman. Their two year anniversary was coming up soon, and she vowed to herself that she would get him an amazing gift just because he was so amazing. She put her phone in her back pocket and headed into the kitchen. Normally she got dressed for school before eating breakfast but today she hoped that breakfast and a steaming cup of coffee would give her some energy to make herself look presentable.

"Happy birthday, honey!" her mom exclaimed excitedly. She greeted her with a hug, followed by a kiss to her forehead. "Are you hungry? I made chocolate chip pancakes and raspberry muffins, your favourite!" She pushed her towards the table and sat her down. Loren looked at the breakfast set up in front of her stomach let out an angry growl at the sight. Her mom chuckled at her as she sat across from her. Loren didn't have to think twice before grabbing two chocolate chip pancakes and drowning them in syrup. She put some fruits on her plate and started shoveling food into her mouth. Nora looked at her and burst into laughter.

"What?" Loren asked her mom, through a full mouth, a confused look on her face.

"Okay honey, first of all, don't talk with your mouth full. And second, I'm just laughing because you're eating like you have never seen food before."

"Oh, well I'm starved. By the way, can you pour me a cup of coffee please Mom?" Loren asked her mother as she bit into a strawberry.

"No tea today?" she asked as she got up to pour the coffee.

"Nope, I only got two hours of sleep last night and I can tell I have a long day ahead of me, so I'm going to need all the energy I can get," she informed her mom with a slight frown on her face before she went back to her food.

"Only two hours of sleep?" Nora asked her daughter. She walked back to the table and set the mug in front of Loren before continuing. "How about this, finish your breakfast and skip your morning classes and sleep. Go to school at lunch and for the afternoon classes, that way you won't be dragging yourself around."

"Telling me to skip school, huh? I'm pretty sure that would be considered bad parenting, Mom," Loren joked. "I'm just kidding but that actually sounds like an appealing plan. I think I might take you up on that offer."

"Alright honey, finish up and go on back to bed," Nora ordered. She kissed her forehead before heading into her room. Loren quickly finished her breakfast and got up to clean the table. After she finished, she washed her hands and headed back to her room. Just as she passed by the front door, she her a quiet knock. She went to the door and looked to see who it was. Her heart did a little dance at the sight of Justin, and she smiled before opening the door to let him in.

"Hi gorgeous," he said as he walked in and wrapped his arms around her waist. Loren's smile only widened as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Hey to you too," she whispered as she pulled away. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick you up," he said with a wink as he picked her up and spun her around in a circle. When he put her down, they were both laughing and smiling. He then took her hand as they walked into the living room and they sat down on the couch, "I'm just kidding, I'm here to take you to school with me."

Loren couldn't help the smile the smile that seemed to stay plastered on her face whenever he was around. "I'm not going to school right now. I only got a couple hours of sleep, so my mom told me to sleep for a few more hours. But you can come pick me up at lunch if you want!"

"Really? Yeah, of course I'll come back babe," he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "But I guess that means your birthday present will have to wait."

"Hey that's not fair! You can't tell me you got me something and not show me it!"

"Oh yes I can," Justin teased as he stood up to walk to the door. Loren followed him with a fake pout on her face. Justin looked at her and chuckled, "That's not going to work on me, you know that right?"

"Humph, yeah I know. But it was worth a try!" she grinned at him. He laughed as he opened the door to leave. Before he could step outside Loren grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her. She wrapped one arm around his neck and the other rested on his chest as she stood on her toes to give him a kiss. She pulled back just a bit and smiled against his lips. She felt him smile back before she said, "You were forgetting something."

"Ah you're right! Happy Birthday to the beautiful and talented soon to be pop star, Loren Tate!" He said with a laugh. He lowered his hand to rest on her lower back as he pulled her closer to him and stopped her from saying anything. It started off as a slow and simple kiss and turned into something more. They broke off when they heard a loud "Ahem" behind them. They pulled apart and turned to see Nora standing behind them with her arms crossed.

"I knew it was getting too quiet in here, I should have guessed why," she joked, winking at Justin.

"Uh... Hi Ms. Tate. How are you?" Justin asked nervously before letting go of Loren.

"Oh I'm just messing with you! And I told you call me Nora, please! Ms. Tate makes me feel so old," she told him, faking a shiver.

"Alright. I should probably get going. Bye Ms. Ta... Nora! Bye Loren, I'll come back at lunch."

"Okay, bye babe. Love you," Loren whispered before giving him a quick peck on the lips before he left. Once he was out the door, she turned around to look at her mom. "What?" she asked stretching out the word.

"Oh nothing, but I just got to fulfill my lifelong dream of finding you making out with a cute boy and then I get to chase him out the door," her mom joked.

Loren rolled her eyes before replying, "Alright then Mom, I'm going to sleep."

"Alright honey."

* * *

Eddie opened his eyes and looked around. He was in his bed, buried in a pile of clothes and bed sheets. He looked to his right and saw a pretty brunette sleeping peacefully next to him. Huh. He couldn't even remember her name, much less how she had gotten there. He closed his eyes for another minute trying to remember. When nothing came to him, he decided to go shower. He pulled the covers off him and sat up in the bed. Great, he was naked. He felt something move beside him and he turned to see the girl opening her eyes.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Hey," Eddie replied forcing a smile. He studied her more carefully and realized she wasn't all that pretty. She was your average looking woman, with big green eyes and short brown hair. A small button nose and thin lips. Wow, he must have been very drunk last night. "I'm going to go take a shower," he informed her.

"Okay," she answered simply. "What time is it?"

"11:30."

"Oh shit! I have to be at work in half an hour!" she exclaimed as she jumped out of the bed. She was naked too so Eddie could guess what happened last night. Too bad he couldn't remember, because she had a beautiful body. Curves in all the right places. That must have been why he brought her home with him last night.

"What? You like what you see?" She winked at him.

"Definitely," he smirked at her. He stood up and put on his boxers and a white t-shirt. She finished getting dressed and started to leave. He started to follow her, in order to walk her out when his foot his something. He bent down to pick it up and realized it was a woman's wallet. Oh thank god, he thought. He opened it and read the driver's license. Maddy. At least he knew her name now. He closed it and quickly ran after her.

"Maddy, you forgot your wallet!" he told her, coming down the stairs.

"Oh thank goodness you found it," she told him. Eddie simply smiled as he walked her to the door. He opened the door for her and she turned around and gave him a light peck on the lips before leaving. After she was gone Eddie closed the door and dropped onto his couch. He rubbed his temples trying to clear his head. The worst thing about getting drunk. The hangover the next day. His head hurt like a bitch. He got up and decided to go take that shower. Half an hour later he was all cleaned up and he looked presentable again. He made his way downstairs to make himself a cup coffee.

Once he had coffee, he went to his living room and grabbed his laptop. He decided to go on Twitter and check out some of his fan's tweets. He felt like he had been neglecting them lately, barely writing any new music or tweeting them or anything really. As he was scrolling through the tweets, he heard a light knock at the door. He went to open it and saw Ian standing there a huge smile plastered on his face with a brown bag in one hand and a tray of steaming cups in the other.

"Latte's and bagels," he explained before letting himself in. He walked over to the table and set them down then turned to face Eddie.

"Wait a second, I haven't seen you since forever and you think you can just show up at my apartment casually with bagels and caffeine without even giving me a proper hello?" Eddie questioned him, faking his annoyance.

Ian smiled at him before saying, "Aw, I missed you too mate," as he pulled him into a quick embrace. They laughed and went to get started on their breakfast. Eddie pulled a bagel out and smiled as he noticed the flavour.

"Blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese, my favourite. Thanks man," Eddie told his friend before taking a bite.

"Anything for you. So, what have you been up to?" Ian winked at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Not much, just been doing my thing," Eddie told him.

"Oh, really? Is that it? No girls leaving your apartment in the mornings or anything like that?" Ian said with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, how did you find out?" he chuckled.

"I came here about half an hour ago to come check on you when my good pal Jeffery downstairs told me you had some lady company. I saw her come down as I was leaving. She was smokin', Ed. I approve," Ian informed him.

"I see," Eddie replied. "Yeah, she had a gorgeous body."

"Huh. What happened to that beautiful blonde model you were dating? That girl you met at the bar last time I was here?"

"Oh, her. Chloe. Yeah, she turned out to be a lying gold digger," Eddie filled his friend in.

"Really? How did you figure that out?" Ian wondered.

"She told me her mother had been killed in an accident in order to get me to open up and a few months into the relationship, I found out she was lying. We were at Rumour when her mom walked in looking for her. I was annoyed that she had stooped that low for my attention. Then just as I was considering forgiving her, I overheard her yelling at her mother that she was ruining her plans to get a hold on my money. So I broke it off right then and there. I guess it was for the best, before things got too serious. She claims to be in love with me but I know it's just a lie to get me back. And since then, I've just kind of been doing whatever," Eddie explained.

"You mean like hooking up with random girls you pick up at the bar?" Ian teased.

"Yeah, like that," Eddie answered with another light chuckle. He finished his food and went back to his laptop to check out his Twitter while he listened to Ian telling him about his latest travels. He continued to look through until he came across a tweet he was mentioned in with an attached link. Curious, he opened it. "Ian, check this out."

* * *

"Oh my God," Loren whispered to herself. "Oh my God!"

Loren had just gotten out of bed for the second time time that day, and she was getting ready for school again. She was almost fully ready when her phone buzzed, letting her know that she had a Twitter notification. She went to check it out, wondering if it was someone replying or retweeting the link she had posted to her video. She has been posting these videos for months now. It had been Justin and Melissa who had pushed her to start a YouTube channel where she could 'show off her talent' as they liked to call it. She had been showing Melissa a new original song one day, and her friend had been taking a video, without Loren's consent, and the next day she found it on YouTube. Within days, it had thousands of hits and people saying they loved it and asking for more. That's when, with lots of convincing from both Justin and Mel, she decided to actually go through with it. Had it not been for the boost of confidence from all the viewers, she would not have been able to post anymore. Every now in then she tweeted links to Eddie Duran, in hopes that he would actually notice it. Just before she had gone back to sleep, she had tweeted yet another link. But, to her surprise this time it had actually worked. Eddie, the Eddie Duran had retweeted her and replied. She couldn't stop herself from freaking out.

_EddieDuran_: You've got some raw Talent! _LoveToLoveYou _Don't give up on your dreams.

_Eddie Duran_: Check out this _LoveToLoveYou_'s YouTube channel! The girl has talent!

She quickly typed a reply, even though she didn't think he would see it.

_LoveToLoveYou_: OMG _EddieDuran_ noticed me! I don't even understand how! Wow, thank you so much! I love you.

"Oh my freaking God," she repeated to herself. She stopped herself from shrieking when she heard a knock at the door. She ran over to open it and saw Justin standing there.

"Hey. You're glowing," he stated as he walked in. "Why are you glowing?"

Loren didn't say anything. She simply turned around and walked to her room, dragging her boyfriend along. She opened her laptop and turned it towards him. He looked at the screen for a moment, squinting his eyes for a better look, before picking her up in a huge hug.

"Oh my gosh babe, congrats!" he exclaimed.

"Thanks, it's all thanks to you and Mel! I feel so giddy right now, I can't even believe it."

"I told you that you were talented. You never listened. Thank goodness Eddie Duran was able to knock some sense into you," he continued.

"Alright you win, I was stubborn. But what if he's just saying that to be nice? What if he doesn't really mean it?" she started to question. She looked down at her fingers and started playing with them nervously.

"Hey, Loren. Look at me," Justin ordered as he put a hand on her cheek and lifted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "You are talented. No matter what anyone says. You are, and you better believe it."

"You really think so?"  
"I know so. Now come on Birthday Girl! You have to get to school or your mother is going to kill us both," he joked.

"Alright, just a second. Thanks Justin," she told him as giving him a light kiss on the lips before going to pack her books.

* * *

"She's good, huh?" Eddie asked after he the video has finished playing.

"Yes mate, she's got a voice. She's good. And she's cute too," Ian added with a wink.

Eddie chuckled before replying, "Yeah, she could be beautiful. I wonder who she is."

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Now tell me more about these hot chicks you've been getting. I want details."  
"You're such a pig, you know that?" Eddie informed his best friend, while laughing.

"Yes, yes I do. But a very handsome pig," Ian countered.

"Ah, right. There is no more details, I've told you all of it," he said, looking a little distracted.

"Why do you have that look on your face?" Ian asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"What look?"

"That look."

"Can you be more specific? It's not like I can see what look I'm giving right now," Eddie reminded his friend.

"That thinking look." Ian answered.

"Thinking look? Really? I have a thinking look?" Eddie was clearly amused.

"Yes, you do! Now tell me what you were thinking about! Was it that girl? She's too young for you pal! She looks 17 or 18."

"No, not like that," Eddie rolled his eyes. "Something about her looks really familiar."

"What do you mean?" Ian asked.

"It's as if I've seen her before."

* * *

"Ugh, school is such a bore," Melissa complained as she walked out of the school with Justin, Loren and Adam. "I am just so glad it's over."

"For today," Loren reminded her.  
"Oh well, thanks for ruining my mini good mood, Mrs. Know-it-all," Melissa said.

"Haha, I'm just saying."

"Whatever, at least now I get to celebrate my girl's eighteenth birthday!" Mel exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh yeah, remember nothing big! No huge surprise party like last year," Loren said rolling her eyes.

"Hmm, we'll see about that," Justin replied, as he kissed Loren's cheek.

"I'm serious guys! Something small, just the four of us," Loren protested.

Justin just smiled at her, "Alright fine. Dinner then?"

"Yes, perfect," Loren confirmed. "Dinner, us four. Somewhere nice and quiet where we can have fun."

"Um, quiet might be a little difficult considering Mel and I already made reservations," Justin hesitantly began explaining as he looked over at her, alarmed.

"Yeah, and it's not exactly the quietest place in L.A," Mel continued. "In fact, it's really loud. One of the hottest places in Hollywood."

"We're going out to Hollywood to have dinner? Are you crazy?" Loren shrieked.

"Whoops," Adam whispered.

"You were in on this too Adam?" Loren looked defeated.

"Yup!" they replied simultaneously.

"Alright then, what time did you guys make the reservations for?" she asked.

"Six," Melissa replied.

"But, we'll pick you up at five," Justin added.

"Okay, fine. We'd better go get ready then," she told the boys. She hugged Justin before she and Mel got in her car to leave. They drove to Loren's house to get dressed. Melissa had already packed her outfit and taken it with her to school. She had decided on a hot pink high waist skirt with a white blouse. She accessorized it perfectly, and it hugged all her curves in the right places. She had chosen well. She was currently going through Loren's closet to look for something for her to wear. As she sifted through the closet, she finally found one she deemed perfect. It was black skinny jeans paired with a ruffled turquoise top. For shoes she pulled out Loren's black 5-inch high heels. She accessorised it with a turquoise clutch that went with the shirt and black and silver earrings. She showed it all to Loren, a proud smile spread across her face.

"So, what do you think? Yay or nay? Oh and you should definitely curl your hair! You look extra sexy with curls," Melissa fantasized.

"I like it," Loren said with a smile.

"Perfect! Now go put it on!"

"Okay, okay I'm going!" Loren laughed at her friend as she took the outfit to the washroom with her. She put the shirt on and jumped around trying to wiggle into her jeans. She turned her curler on to heat it up, and applied some makeup while waiting. When it was ready, she quickly curled a few strands of hair and put her jewellery on. She stood back in front of the mirror to get a good look, and she smiled. She thought she looked good. She stepped out of the washroom, and twirled.

"Ta da! What do you think?" she asked Melissa, her smile wide.

"Oh my gosh Loren, you look incredible! Justin is going to freak when he sees you!" Melissa winked, laughing.

"Very funny, thanks!" she said as her cheeks turned a rosy pink.

"I'm serious!" Mel laughed. They heard the doorbell ring and Melissa went to open it, Loren following closely. She opened the door to see Justin and Adam standing there, Justin holding a bouquet of flowers. Justin's eyes widened in admiration as he noticed Loren, and he walked up to her smiling.

"For you," he said handing her the flowers. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "You look so unbelievably beautiful. Even more so than you usually do."

"Ha ha, thank you. Mm, roses? My favourite!" Loren said as she walked into the kitchen to put them in a vase., leaving Mel and Adam in the living room. Justin followed her and wrapped his arms around her from the back.

"I'm serious. You're so gorgeous," he told her again. She turned around in his arms and placed her hands on his chest.

"You're the best boyfriend ever, you know that right?" she told him before leaning in to kiss him on the lips. She meant what she said. He always treated her right. He was so caring, he always bought her gifts for no reason. He often showed up at her door with flowers randomly. He took care of her. Ever since her father left her and her mother, he was the first guy she had let herself care for and depend on. She smiled into the kiss, and he pulled away and smiled.

"What?" he asked her.

"What?"

"Why did you just smile? Not that I'm complaining, I love when you do but why did you laugh?" he said smiling.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you as a boyfriend," Loren told him, hiding her face as she blushed. He lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world, you're amazing," he whispered to her before leaning in to kiss her. She locked her arms around his neck as she kissed him back.

"No wonder you guys were taking so long," they jumped apart at the sound of Melissa's voice. "It's almost five, we should probably get going if we want to get there on time."

"Okay," Justin said as he held Loren's hand and led her out of the house. Loren looked over at her best friend sheepishly and mouthed 'sorry'. Melissa just winked back as she got into the car and they drove off.

* * *

"Are you hungry?" Eddie asked Ian ask he closed his laptop. He has just spent the last hour or so ready fan tweets and replying. It felt good to finally be connected with them again.

"Starving," Ian answered.

"Rumour?"

"Yeah, let's go," Ian said as he got up and put his jacket on. They got into Eddie's car and arrived to the restaurant in 5 minutes.

"Table for two please," Eddie smiled at the host.

"Mr. Duran, of course. Right this way," she said as she led them to a booth for two. They sat down and got comfortable. They could hear the laughter of a couple of teenagers a few tables over.

"Ugh, why do they let immature teens in here," Ian groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Don't hate man, that was us a few years ago," Eddie chuckled.

"True," Ian sighed. "But that one in that tight pink skirt is quiet ravishing, if I do say so myself."  
Eddie turned around to look at the teens. There were two girls, and two boys. One of them boys seemed like the athletic type, and he was holding hands with the girl in the turquoise shirt. She looked oddly familiar to Eddie, and she was very pretty. The other girl in the pink skirt Ian was talking about, was sitting beside a scrawny looking boy but she was also beautiful.

"What's the matter Ed, you see something you like?" Ian winked.

"Nah man, they're kids. But the girl in the blue, or turquoise whatever, she looks so familiar but I can't really tell from where," Eddie explained.

"Huh, second time today man. Interesting," Ian stated as the waitress came to take their order.

* * *

"Alright, alright. Now that we've started on dessert, can we please give presents?" Melissa asked as she shoved another slice of strawberry cheesecake into her mouth.

"Ah, yes! Presents," Justin smiled. "Adam, do you want to go first?"

"Okay. So, you've always been there for me Loren and you're such a great friend to me. You always have been, and I hope you will continue to be. So, Melissa and I decided to –"

"… Put our money together and get you something you would love!" Melissa interrupted. "Therefore, we got you front row tickets to… Eddie Duran's last concert in L.A! We tried to get you backstage tickets, but we couldn't so instead we got you Meet and Greet tickets. Hope that's okay with you?"

"WHAT?!" Loren shrieked. Everyone turned to look at her and she hid her face. She whisper yelled at her friends, "You got me front row tickets and a Meet and Greet? And you hope that's okay with you? Are you crazy, oh my God! I love you guys!" They all looked at her bewildered facial expression and burst into laughter.

"It wasn't just us though, Justin pitched in as well," Adam explained.

"You guys are the best, I love you!" Loren said.

"Wait, but that's not all," Melissa winked.

"There's more?" Loren was shocked.

"Yup! So the second part of the gift is a small little addition, but Adam and I made a collage of pictures of the three of us and we included a few of you and Justin and a few of you and Nora. That's in the car so we'll give it to you later," Melissa finished.

"Aw, I'm sure I am going to love it!"  
"Oh, I know you will," she chuckled.

"Now, time for my gift," Justin smiled.

"Wait, you got her more?" Melissa asked.

"You got me another gift?" Loren asked at the same time.

"Yeah, this one is all me." he pulled two small boxes out of his pockets. He handed her the first one, and they all watched her open it. Inside, there was a silver necklace with a small heart as the pendent. She gasped. It was a beautiful necklace. She turned to kiss Justin, and he smiled as she pulled away.

"It's so beautiful, thank you!"

"Look here," he pointed to a small part at the tip of the heart. "J+L=Forever."

"Oh my," Loren's eyes widened. "I love it!" He opened the second box. Inside there was a small ring inside. The kind that went on your pinkie finger, and it had a small design on it.

"It's not a marriage ring, not yet anyways," he whispered the second part to her. "But it's kind of like a promise ring. I promise to love you forever, and always be here for you."

"Are you serious? That is so freaking cute!" Melissa shrieked.

"Do you mean it?" Loren asked him.

"Yes, of course," he answered as he leaned over and planted a quick kiss on her forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too," Loren whispered, smiling at him. "Thank you so much you guys, this really has been the best birthday yet."

"Okay, enough cuteness with you two," Melissa said with a sigh. "We should probably get going, it's a 45 minute drive back home." They stood up and went to get their jackets.

"Wait guys, I forgot my keys on the table. I'll meet you outside, alright?" Loren said.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go get the car," Justin said.

She walked over to the table, grabbed her keys and began to head out. She was looking at her phone as she walked out and bumped into someone. Little did she know that the person she had bumped into was Eddie Duran.

"Watch where you're going," Eddie, who also had his eyes glued to his phone as he walked, snapped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Loren exclaimed, as she ran off never looking up once. When Eddie finally looked up, he realized it was the girl from the video he had seen this morning.

"Wait, LoveToLoveYou!" he called out after her. But it was too late, she was out of hearing distance. That's when he remembered her. That girl. She wasn't just from the video this morning. He had seen her 2 years ago. She was the one who was singing at his secret spot, the night before his mom had died. But now she was gone, and he had no idea how to find her again.

**Song: Kick It Up, Eddie Duran (Episode 2)**

**FINALLY DONE! The last little bit has not been proofread yet, so sorry for any mistakes. Will fix them later. **

**I know, I'm really awkward at writing love scenes but it's just so weird to write, I'm trying though! I've read so many of them since I love books and all but I just can't get myself to do it, it feels weird :$ **

**These last few chapters have been boring, I am aware, but they're necessary for the development of the story. **

**This one was a little bit longer than the last few chapters to make up for the time, but I hope you liked it. **

**All feedback is appreciated, even if it's not positive as long as it is constructive criticism. **

**Let me know what you guys think if you're reading it. I need to know what you guys think because I'm a little unsure.**

**Please please please review :) If you like it, follow and favourite :)**

**Thaaanks :) xo**


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